Canning Vegetables

[Giraffe]

So y'all have got me going on quite the sustainable bender now. :tongue_smilie: I'm looking at canning vegetables. Everything I've seen says I have to use a pressure canner for tomatoes, peas, and beans. My mom used to can vegetables all the time and I have absolutely no memory of a pressure canner - only what I now know is a boiling water bath.

 

Do you really have to buy a pressure canner? I don't want to invest in one right away but get into the groove before going that far.

 

Or is this a false economy? What do you who can use?

[Alenee]

In my Ball Blue Book it says that you can do tomatoes in a water bath as long as you use bottled lemon juice to maintain the correct pH. It also shows a nice picture of canning grean beans in a water bath. My Ball Blue Book is one of my best resources! You can usually find it in the canning section of your grocery store. Only cost me about $6.

[sparrow]

In my Ball Blue Book it says that you can do tomatoes in a water bath as long as you use bottled lemon juice to maintain the correct pH. It also shows a nice picture of canning grean beans in a water bath. My Ball Blue Book is one of my best resources! You can usually find it in the canning section of your grocery store. Only cost me about $6.

 

 

:iagree:I've canned tomatoes for years, as had my mother and grandmother. We've only ever used a water bath. The Ball Blue Book is your canning bible!

[Jayne J]

If I remember correctly, I think that there have been recent changes to the recommendations--many foods that used to be considered water bath safe have been changed to pressure canning. I am not really sure why, but I remember thinking how expensive it was going to be to can "safely." I am currently on the hunt for a good, inexpensive pressure canner/cooker. If you use the canner as a cooker as well, you can get a little more use out of it. Now I just need to figure out how what to pressure cook...;)

[hillfarm]

Water bath canning does not get the contents up to high enough temperature to adequately kill all the dangerous bacteria. Some produce, like tomatoes, contain enough acid or can have lemon juice/citric acid added to them to adequately kill those bacteria left. But most vegetables do not have enough acid, so must be pressure canned for safety.

 

Although we all have stories of people who canned for years who did not follow the current canning recommendations, if you dig deeper you will find the stories about all those people who got sick from doing the same thing.

 

Definitely follow the current guidelines, like those outlined in the Ball book.

 

I bought a used pressure canner for $15.00. It was new in the early 1940's but Mirro still makes the parts and rubber gaskets for it. I then took it to a county Extension office to have it calibrated. It was perfect at every temperature tested. The tester told me that it came out better than many of the brand new ones she had checked. So don't risk illness because you don't want to pay full price for a new pressure canner. There are some great ones out there on the used market.

 

Also, even though everyone's grandma used mayonaise and other jars for canning, don't do it. Glass jars aren't made like they used to be and it is hard to distinguish the good 50yo ones from the lesser quality 30yo ones or some of the flimsy newer ones. Use actual canning jars such as Ball, Mason, etc.

 

Do not reuse canning flats, the flat part of the lids. The sealing compound that has been used for the last several years is intended for one use only and after it gets indented from the first use, it may not seal properly for subsequent uses. At only a few pennies each, it is definitely not worth the risk of sickness or ruined produce.

 

If you live in earthquake prone areas, be sure to keep your filled canning jars low on your shelves - they can add up to an astounding amount of weight - and consider adding protective railings or shock absorbers to keep them from breaking on the shelves or tumbling off and crashing to the ground.

 

Also don't let your canned goods freeze. The seal can be broken by microtears caused by expansion pressure and again, bacteria can slip in through the tiny holes and proliferate until you open the product.

 

HTH

[Laurel]

Tomatoes can be canned in a water bath, but it is recommended to add some lemon juice to the jars to make it more acidic. Other vegetables can be canned in a water bath if you pickle them. Otherwise, you need a pressure canner. (Even following very outdated recommendations, you wouldn't want to can low-acid foods without a pressure canner. Low-acid vegetables required many many hours (a day or more) in a water bath to be "safe.")

[GoVanGogh]

Ditto what everyone has said about the Ball book. It is considered "The Bible" for preserving foods.

 

The danger with water baths for low acid foods (like green beans) is botulism, so certainly not worth the risk, in my opinion to dodge the current safety guidelines.

[Giraffe]

Thank you so much! I will look for the Ball book this weekend.

 

I emailed my mom and found out she never used to do the water bath either! She just heated up the food, boiled/sterilized the jars, lids, and rings, packed everything hot. She says she's never had a jar spoil and never had someone get sick. I don't recall ever seeing a bad jar growing up.

 

That being said, I think I will look for a pressure canner. I do not have my mother's kitchen mojo.

 

A couple of follow up questions:

 

Can someone look in their copy of the Ball Book and tell me if it has instructions on canning/preserving eggplant? If it does, does it call for pureed eggplant or chunks/slices?

 

Where might I look for a pressure canner? I found some online, but they were pricey. I need to do this on a budget. I'm in Dallas, if that helps/makes a difference.

 

Thanks!

[H.S. Burrow]

In my Ball Blue Book it says that you can do tomatoes in a water bath as long as you use bottled lemon juice to maintain the correct pH. It also shows a nice picture of canning grean beans in a water bath. My Ball Blue Book is one of my best resources! You can usually find it in the canning section of your grocery store. Only cost me about $6.

 

 

My Ball Blue Book has green beans in a pressure cooker! Pages 68-69 This is due to their being a low-acid food.

 

To the OP, the Ball Blue Book is one of the best resources for the price.

[Truscifi]

In my Ball Blue Book it says that you can do tomatoes in a water bath as long as you use bottled lemon juice to maintain the correct pH. It also shows a nice picture of canning grean beans in a water bath. My Ball Blue Book is one of my best resources! You can usually find it in the canning section of your grocery store. Only cost me about $6.

 

:iagree: I love my Ball Blue Book. But mine says to can green beans in a pressure canner. Tomatoes are okay in a water bath though.

[H.S. Burrow]

Thank you so much! I will look for the Ball book this weekend.

 

I emailed my mom and found out she never used to do the water bath either! She just heated up the food, boiled/sterilized the jars, lids, and rings, packed everything hot. She says she's never had a jar spoil and never had someone get sick. I don't recall ever seeing a bad jar growing up.

 

That being said, I think I will look for a pressure canner. I do not have my mother's kitchen mojo.

 

A couple of follow up questions:

 

Can someone look in their copy of the Ball Book and tell me if it has instructions on canning/preserving eggplant? If it does, does it call for pureed eggplant or chunks/slices?

 

Where might I look for a pressure canner? I found some online, but they were pricey. I need to do this on a budget. I'm in Dallas, if that helps/makes a difference.

 

Thanks!

 

 

The only directions for eggplant are to blanch and freeze.

 

Check with the extension office and see if they know someone who might be willing to lend you one. They are rather pricey new. I was fortunate in that I was able to borrow my MIL's.

[cjzimmer1]

 

A couple of follow up questions:

 

Can someone look in their copy of the Ball Book and tell me if it has instructions on canning/preserving eggplant? If it does, does it call for pureed eggplant or chunks/slices?

 

 

 

The only preservation method is freezing and instructions are for slices.

 

Realized someone else posted while I was looking up the answer.

[Giraffe]

The only preservation method is freezing and instructions are for slices.

 

Realized someone else posted while I was looking up the answer.

 

I appreciate the look-up!

[hillfarm]

I found my used canner in the classified ad section of the local paper. In your area, you might want to check the newspapers from more rural areas surrounding the city. If you find one, definitely have it calibrated to be sure that the pressure/temp readings are true.

 

Because my canner was so old, I needed to replace the rubber gasket ring around the rim and also the rubber emergency overflow valve. I got the manufacturer's name off the canner and got their contact information online. When I called to see if they still had parts available, they needed the serial number from the canner to be sure. It is a good idea to replace these rubber parts every few years to ensure a good seal and also that the emergency valve will function properly in case of a problem and will allow it to vent steam safely if needed.

[OrganicAnn]

You can also find canning recipe on the Ball's website.

 

If you have any freezer space, you can freeze many of those things too. Also you and dry tomatoes, peas etc.

[gardening momma]

I emailed my mom and found out she never used to do the water bath either! She just heated up the food, boiled/sterilized the jars, lids, and rings, packed everything hot.

My mom did all of that, and then pressurized the cans. (I think.) I do remember something that she canned that she poured boiling water into the jars of food, sealed the jars, and turned them upside down on a towel on the table. Or maybe she pressurized them in the canner first, and then turned them upside down?? I'll have to ask her.

[GoVanGogh]

I emailed my mom and found out she never used to do the water bath either! She just heated up the food, boiled/sterilized the jars, lids, and rings, packed everything hot. She says she's never had a jar spoil and never had someone get sick. I don't recall ever seeing a bad jar growing up.

 

That being said, I think I will look for a pressure canner. I do not have my mother's kitchen mojo.

Botulism does not have a 'bad' smell or look, so you can't tell if a canned item is bad or not. (Ex: Jelly sealed with wax may go moldy so you know to discard. Not so with botulism and, say, canned green beans.)

 

From what I have read in gardening/canning info is that the botulism spores are present in soil and can built up. The produce itself is contaminated then the spores multiply to dangerous/deadly levels inside improperly canned items. Your mom may have had some good "kitchen mojo" but it certainly isn't anything to play around with. :tongue_smilie: If you google "botulism with home canning" you can get more than enough info to scare you witless. :lol: Glad to hear you are thinking about getting a pressure canner.

[GoVanGogh]

Forgot to add:

GardenWeb has a wonderful harvest forum.

Here is a link directly to a post about (not) canning eggplant:

http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/harvest/msg0823155927400.html

[JadeOrchidSong]

I have been interested in canning. This really helps. Thanks.